Manifolding writing machine



April 21, ,1931. FLEM|NG 1,801,495

MANIFOLDING WRITING MACHINE Filed 00ft 6, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 il 5i JOHN A. DOE.

7245 EAST KING STREET NEW YORK INVENTOR, BY

ATTORNEY April 21, 1931. J. s. FLEMING 1,801,495

MANIFOLDING WRITING MACHINE 7 Filed Oct. 6, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2 JOHN A. DOE,

7245 EAST KING STREET New vonKMLm2l My R erk F. Roe- JOHN A. DOE,

2415 E'A5T KING smear NEWYORK 25 28 nemwiyzqanfln L 7245 EAST mus STREET 3 0 J NEW YORK 11 '7 l lNVENTOR 13 j a Q ATTORNEY A ril" 21, 1931.

Filed Oct. 6, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN STUART FLEMING, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGN MENTS, TO NIAGARA FOLD, INC., OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK MANIFOLDING WRITING MACHINE Application filed October 6, 1927. Serial No. 224,352.

This invention relates to improvements in manifolding machines, and more particularly with reference to some of its details, it relates to improvements in supporting 'devices for carbon sheets or similar transfer rangement for the transfer sheets or strips,

which is simple and inexpensive in construction and efi'ective and satisfactory in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved transfer sheet holder for machines of the class mentioned, which is applicable to different types of manifolding machines such as typewrlters, autographic registers, billing machines, and the like, and which, moreover, is readily applicable to such machines of existing construction, and to those which are already in service.

A furthei' object is to provide an improved device for machines of the class mentioned whereby the transfer sheets may be quickly and easily shifted from one transfer position to another relatively to the record strips or webs.

Still another object is to provide a simple arrangement whereby the transfer strips and record strips may be relatively adjusted to a new transfer position by provision of an improved: and simple device whereby one of the strips is restrained from movement while another is moved relatively thereto.

A further object is to provide, in machines of the class mentioned, an improved arrangement whereby relief to frictional re-,

straint or binding action of the record strips to relative adjusting movement of the transfer stripsis automatically accomplished at the desired period, and whereby adjustment of the strips to new transfer position is accomplished by a simple operation.

Another object is to provide an improved carbon sheet holder for machines of the class mentioned which is movable to and beyond The platen, or other device for holding the record strips in manifolding position, so as to relieve the carbon sheets and record strips from frictional restraint to relative movement therebetween, permitting easy longitudinal adjustment.

In some of its aspects, this invention relatesto manifolding machines, of the types above mentioned, for simultaneously writmg inscriptions upon a plurality of superposed Webs or record strips arranged for traveling or feeding movement, as successive blank forms or recording areas are inscribed, the successive inscribed areas or leaves ordinarily being intended to be severed from the main body of the record strips. Transfer strips, such as carbon sheets interleaved with the record strips, are ordinarily employed for transferring the original inscription to the underlying record strips. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved and practical device whereby the transfer sheets of the manifolding apparatus may be shifted from areas of the record strips which have been written upon into manifolding pos tion with reference to successive writing areas of the record strips.

Other objects 9f the invention will be in part pointed out in connection with the fol lowing detailed description of an illustrative but preferred embodiment of the invention, and will be in part obvious in connection therewith.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference is had to the following detailed description, and to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a typewriter of the cylindrical platen type, embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a supply of superposed traveler record strips with an assembled form of improved carbon or transfer sheet carrier.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 1 but showing the traveler record strips with ferabiy having or slmflar mscnp the assembled carbon sheets rler m a dflferent relatlve Fig. 4 is a cross sectiona: flew substa'rbial- I mged therealong and ee grated. by 1y on the hne 4-4 of 1 die verse weakened hues or periomtlole 18 matlcally so as to ffilcl l'ilu' 'wherely the forwardly fe k W as may be I on stri 1 are pre'iera 1 orcT. strlps posecl overhppmg: 1-21 m 2, they may 30 Fig 5 is a detai'iei netthe checklng or s op Flu sheet earner.

Fig. 6 is a. e "501 sheet earner, gzag suppty S 111 sectlon. woo-bed by means d. in any Fig. 7 is F19" 8 1s a cie sheet earner: and.

ner by the Writing ma.

'iy suppoi ted.

Jot-w fited with a Fig 9 is pere J form of transfe by mea Referrmg to v 21y extend description 0;. t the invention cylindrical ph' sign is shown the applicati inventlon is here standard form derstood that it 'J t other typee W 1 Y ing those emn' Writing T In. the 11%: finder against on the pi; bined ribb 111ei11i1r bio manic position i plates or cylimlzrie port and 't'lon "5 These 1 meal or paper 1 ow with mteri' in osi'tion or impres type bars 1 plurality o platen 113 may 0 of a knob to wardly" and i mc liim 1181 to efiect The attaching ends of the transfer sheets C pass through the slits 22 from the outside and are attached by the adhesive to the inner surfaces of the attaching bars 23 as best shown in Fig. 7. The attaching ends of the sheet C are thus protected from injury or from injuring the record strips, and they are further protected by the other side 24 of the V-shaped carrier which thus functions as a protective flap for these attaching ends. The outer sheet C at the right in Fig. 7 may be attached to the outer surface of the flap 24 as shown, or it may extend through the adjacent slit and be attached to the inner surface of said flap. The protective flap 24 also strengthens and reenforces the transfer sheet carrier 21.

The carrier 21 is made of suflicient length so as to project at opposite ends thereof beyond the adjacent edges of the record strips S as shown in Fig. 2, thus forming projecting lugs or stops 25 lying beyond the edges of the assembled record strips and functioning as checking members to check advancement of the carrier and transfer sheets so as to aid in relatively shifting said sheets longitudinally of the record strips as more fully described below. The bending or folding of the carrier sheet provides a longitudinally extending reenforcing rib or angle 26 for the lugs 25 as Well as for the carrier generally.

The opposite ends of the transfer sheet carrier 21 may be cut away at their rearward faces so as to form rearwardly facing curved or inclined surfaces 27 which function as clearance surfaces during reverse movement of the carrier past the platen. In other words, these surfaces function to clear the way as the carrier passes by the'platen thus avoiding obstruction to movement of said carrier.

In the-illustrative embodiment of the invention, a pair of'checking or stop lugs 28 are adjustably carried by a supporting bar 29 on the machine. These lugs or checks are shown as hooked shape and are connected to the rod 29 by tensioned gripping j aws 30 enabling the checks to be slid longitudinally upon the supporting rod for adjustment to accommodate different widths of record strips. The checks may also be swung angu-- larly upon the supporting rod so as to correctly position the hook shaped parts for cooperation with the projecting lugs 25 of-the transfer sheet carrier 21. The checking lugs 29 may thus be positioned so as to lie adjacent to the edges of the record strips S as they passaround the platen and in position to engage with the carrier 21. It will therefore be noticed that the checking lugs 28 are caused to engage automatically with the cooperating lugs of the carrier 21 so as to check said carrier when ithas been freed from the grip of the platen. I

The assembled record strips and carbon sheets as shown in Fig. 2, being placed in the machine as best shown in Fi s. 1 and 4, with the carbon sheets and recor ing areas of the strips in juxtaposition to the platen, the type bars are operated to impart the desired inscription upon the outer record strip, the inscription being transferred to the underlying strips by the carbon sheets in a manner well known in the art. As straps are fed forwardly for line spacing, the transfer sheet carrier 21 is also moved forwardly being carried along with the record strips. It will be understood that the record strips and transfer sheets will be gripped and pressed against the platen by the ressing and guiding bars 15, thus exerting riction upon the transfer sheets and carrier 21 by the contacting faces of the record strips, whereby relative longitudinal movement between the strips and carrier is resisted thus to restrain the carbon sheets in correct transfer position. In referring to Fig. 4, it should be kept in mind that this figure is partially diagrammatic, the sheets and strips being shown as separated in order to facilitate disclosure; in actual practice, the strips and transfer sheets will, of course, be held in smoothly contacting relation with each other.

lVhen the carbon carrier 21 in its forward movement reaches the platen 10, it is enabled, due to its thin flexible character, to pass with the record'strips through the path around the cylindrical platen, and to pass beyond the gripping influence of said platen entirely to the delivery side of the latter. The carbon sheetpositioner or carrier 21 is enabled to thus pass entirely to the delivery side of the platen and to be freed from the feeding grip thereof due to the fact that it is discontinuous at its rear end; that is, it terminates at a short distance to the rearward of the adjacent ends of the transfer sheets so as to be passable with the latter wholly past the platen to a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 3. As the carrier emerges at the front or delivery side of the platen, the frictional grip upon the carrier and transfer sheets is thus released so as to permit free relative longitudinal movement between the strips and the carrier, and transfer sheets carried by the latter. At about this instant, in the cycle of operations, the laterally extending lugs 25 of the carrier 21 encounter the hooks of the stop lugs 28 thus checking further advancement of the carrier and transfer sheets. This position of the carrier 21 is shown in Fig. 3.

When the carrier and transfer sheets are thus restrained from further advancement, the record strips may be fed forwardly as shown in Fig. 3, to bring the next successive set of superposed blank forms 17 into manifolding relation with reference to the transfer sheets. For this purpose it will be observed that the feeding grip of the platen upon the record strips may continue whereby said record strips may be fed forwardly to fill the desired extent. The inscribed sheets then lie wholly beyond the ends of the transfer sheets and may be conveniently severed along the transverse weakened lines 18, or a tearing edge may be provided to facilitate this operation. \Vhen the inscribed sheets are sevcred or before they are severed the platen may be reversely rotated to bring the new set of blank forms with interleaved transfer sheets into writing position against the platen. During this movement, the transfer sheets and carrier are frictionally engaged between the record strips whereby the strips, carrier and transfer sheets are moved backwardly as a unit around the platen 10.

It will be observed that the transfer sheet supporting member 21 or the corresponding member 21aFig. 9) is preferably flexible throughout its extent. and that it forms, in effect, an extension of the transfer sheet or sheets extending to such position as to co operate with the checking lugs described. Each such checking extension in the embodiment shown is positioned laterally beyond the adjacent edges of the carbon sheets so as to cooperate with the checking lugs. i Vhile it will be observed that the checking extension thus arranged is very convenient, it may be varied in precise form and differently arranged with reference to the carbon sheets and yet perform the checking function in the same manner. Each of these laterally disposed checking extensions 25 also cooperates with the corresponding checking lug 28 in order to keep the carbon sheets in their cor rectly aligned position in manifolding relation with the record sheets or to bring the 'arbon sheets back into correct position in case they should become disaligned with the record strips or out of longitudinal alignment therewith.

Where it is desired to use a lesser number of record strips, a modified transfer sheet carrier 21a may be employed as shown in 9. to carry a single carbon sheet C attached thereto, The carrier 210. as will be understood is constructed of flexible material as in the case above described, and may be provided with the inclined clearance surfaces 27a at the ends functioning as above described.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense,

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetweein I claim:

1. In a manifolding machine in combination, means for supporting for traveling movement a plurality of superposed record strips, with at least one interleaved transfer sheet, a carrier for said transfer sheet freely carried by said record strips, and a checking lug cooperative with said carrier after it has passed beyond said supporting means for checking traveling movement of said transfer sheet during traveling movement of the record strips.

2. In a manifolding machine, in combination, means for supporting for traveling movement a plurality of superposed record strips with at least one interleaved transfer sheet, means for imparting pressure upon said strips causing them to frictionally engage said transfer sheet, a carrier for said transfer sheet movable with said record strips wholly beyond said pressure means and means for checking advancement of said transfer sheet with the record strips after passage of said transfer sheet and carrier beyond said pressure means.

3. In a manifolding machine, in combination. means for supporting for traveling movement a plurality of superposed record strips with at least one interleaved transfer sheet, a. carrier for said transfer sheet movable with said record strips to and beyond the below mentioned pressure means, said carrier being provided with a lug, pressure means for exerting pressure upon said record strips causing them to frictionally engage said transfer sheet and said carrier but to re lease both when they have passed beyond the pressure means, and a lug cooperative with the lug of said carrier so as to restrain travcling movement of said transfer sheet and carrier with the record strips when both said transfer sheet and said carrier have passed beyond said pressure means.

i. In a manifolding machine, in combination, means for exerting pressure upon a plurality of superposed record strips so as to cause them to frictionally engage a trans fer sheet interleaved in transfer relation with said strips whereby the transfer sheet is caused to be fed with said record strips, a curved platen surface for supporting the strips for reception of an inscription, a transfer sheet positioner extending from said transfer sheet and being thin so as to be passable with the transfer sheet by said platen, said positioner being discontinuous at its rear near said transfer sheet whereby it may pass with said sheet entirely beyond said platen, and a stop cooperating beyond said platen with said positioner to check traveling movement of the transfer sheet when said sheet has passed with the positioner beyond said platen and the platen pressure thereon released.

5. In a manifolding machine, in combination, a platen having a cylindrical strip suporting surface for supporting, for manifold inscription, a plurality of superposed record 7 strips, whereby the strips are movable past the platen, a carbon carrier interleaved with the record strips and freely carried independently of the platen by said record strips and movable therewith wholly past said platen, said carrier being transversely flexible so as to conform approximately to said cylindrical platen surface, lugs carried by said carrier, and restraining means cooperating with said lugs beyond said platen so as to restrain traveling movement of said carrier during traveling movement of said carrier and strips.

6. In a manifolding machine, in combination, feeding and supporting means for a plurality of superposed record strips, a transfer sheet carrier freely supported by said record strips in interleaved position therewith and adapted to pass with the record strips toand entirely beyond said feeding and supporting means, a checking device engaging said transfer sheet carrier to check it when it has passed beyond said feeding and supporting means, and a support for supporting said checking device for-adjusting movement toward and away from the strip path and also laterally of said path.

7. In a manifolding machine, in combination, feeding and supporting means for a plurality of superposed record strips with a transfer sheet freely supported by said record strips in interleaved manifolding relation therewith and adapted to pass with the record strips to and entirely beyond said feeding and supporting means to the delivery side of the latter, and a checking device positioned beyond said feeding and supporting means at the delivery side thereof and cooperating with said transfer sheet when the latter has passed beyond said feeding and supporting means so as to check said transfer sheet.

8. In a manifolding machine, in combination, means for supporting for traveling movement a plurality of superposed record strips with atleast one interleaved transfer I sheet, strip gripping feeding means for gripping said record strips to feed them together with said transfer sheet until the latter passes beyond the feed grip entirely to the delivery side thereof so as to be freed from restraint by the feeding means, said transfer sheet having a checking extension which is thin and flexible so as to be passable through and beyond the feeding grip to the delivery side thereof, and a checking device automatically cooperating with said checking extenslon after the latter has passed to the delivery side of said feeding means so as to check said extension together with its transfer sheet.

9. In a manifolding machine, in combination, means for supporting for traveling movement a plurality of superposed record strips with at least one interleaved transfer sheet, strip gripping feeding means gripping said record strips to feed them together with said transfer sheet until the latter passes beyond the feed grip entirely to the delivery side thereof so as to be freed from restraint by the feeding means, said transfer sheet having a lateral checking extension which is thin and flexible so as to be passable through and beyond the feeding grip to the delivery side thereof, and a checking device positioned in the longitudinal path of said checking extension and laterally outside of the transfer sheet edge at the delivery side of said feeding means and automatically cooperating in checking relation with said checking extension when the latter passes to the delivery side of the feeding means so as to check further advance of the transfer sheet.

10. In a manifolding machine, in combination, means for supporting for traveling movement a plurality of superposed record strips with at least one interleaved transfer sheet, strip gripping feeding means for gr'ipping said record strips to feed them together with said transfer sheet until the latter passes beyond the feed grip entirely to the delivery side thereof so as to be freed from restraint by the feeding means, said transfer sheet having a checking extension adapted to pass with I the transfer sheet to the delivery side of the feeding means, and a checking device positloned at the delivery side of said feeding means and cooperating with said'checking extension after it has passed to the delivery side of said feeding means so as to check the advancement of said transfer sheet during continuance of the feeding grip of said feedin means with continued feed of the record strips thereby.

11. In a manifolding machine, in combination, a rotary platen for supporting for manifolding inscription a plurality of superposed record strips, and having feeding cooperation with the latter whereb the strips may be fed past the platen, a trans er sheet positioner connected to a transfer sheet for positioning the latter in transfer relation with said record strips, said positioner being flexible substan-- tially throughout its extent and being discontinuous at its rear end at a short distance to the rear of the adjacent end of the transfer sheet so as to pass with said sheet by and entirely to the delivery side of the platen, and a checking member detached and separate from said transfer sheet positioner cooperating with said positioner when the latter has passed with its transfer sheet entirely to the delivery side of said platen so as to check and position the transfer sheet.

12. In a ma'nifolding machine, in combination, a record strip gripping platen, a tran s fer sheet positioner connected to a transfer sheet positioned in interleaved transfer relation with record strips used in the machine whereby said transfer sheet and positioner are supported by said record strips to move therewith, said positioner being discontinuous at its rear end at a short distance to the rear'of the adjacent end of the transfer sheet and being thin and flexible substantially throu hout its extent whereby it may pass with 518 transfer sheet by and wholly beyond the grip of said platen to the delivery side thereof, and a checkin device positioned in the longitudinal path 0%S2LlfYPOSliLlOI16I at the delivery side of said platen and automatical- 1y engaging with said positioner at the dellvery side of the platen so as to check the positioner with its transfer sheet after they ave passed to the delivery side of the platen. 13. In a manifolding machine, in combination,a transfer sheet carrier positioned between superposed traveler record strips, feeding means for exerting feeding pressure upon said record strips so as to cause them to frictionally engage wlth said carrier and with a transfer sheet attached to said carrier and interleaved in vtransfer relation with said record strips, whereby said transfer sheet and carrier are caused to be fed with said record strips, said transfer sheet carrier being discontinuous at a-short distance to the rear of its attachment with the transfer sheet whereby it may pass entirely beyond said feeding means to the delivery side of the latter while the feeding grip upon the record strips continues, and a checking device positioned beyond said feeding means and automatically engaging with said carrier when the latter has assed with the transfer sheet wholly to the elivery side of said feeding means so as to check said transfer sheet during continued feeding actuation of the record strips by said feeding means.

In testimony whereof I afifia my signature.

JOHN STUART FLEMING. 

